Truck Storage Box

Abstract

A storage box includes steps thereon for access to a rear deck of a highway truck tractor. A pivotally mounted front door panel selectively spans an access opening at the front of the storage box and supports a middle step thereon for movement with the front door panel between open and closed positions across the access opening. A lower step and an upper step are supported fixedly on the storage box respectively below and above both the front opening and middle step. The configuration of the steps maximises the access opening covered by the front door panel for easy access to the interior of the storage box while furthermore permitting ergonomic spacing of the steps relative to one another so that users can ascend and descend the steps with a safe, comfortable, and uniform stride.

Description

[0001]This application claims foreign priority benefits from Canadian Patent Application 2,534,019 filed Jan. 16, 2006.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a storage box for mounting on a truck, and more particularly relates to a storage box including steps thereon for access to a rear deck of a highway truck tractor.BACKGROUND[0003]On large vehicles, for example highway truck tractors, steps are commonly provided to give the user access to the cabin or to the rear deck of the vehicle. Furthermore it is common to provide the steps in the form of a step box including a storage compartment therein for the user to store tools and the like as desired.[0004]U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,191 to Brady, U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,167 to Barnhardt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,788 to Joubert and U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,657 to King et al. disclose various examples of storage compartments in association with access steps on large vehicles. None of the prior art however is arranged to provide ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]By mounting a middle step on a door pivotally supported on a storage box with one step thereabove and one step therebelow, an ergonomic spacing of the steps can be realised while further permitting the access opening into the interior storage to be maximized unlike any of the prior art noted above. In particular supporting the lower step below the front opening on the main box increases the flexibility of use as an awkwardly sized door spanning the full front of the box as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,191 to Brady noted above is not required.

Problems solved by technology

None of the prior art however is arranged to provide ergonomically positioned steps relative to one another which are aligned and supported on a box for mounting as an accessory onto a highway truck tractor to provide access to the rear deck while taking advantage of maximum storage.

In addition to a lack or ergonomically positioned steps in the prior art, the access opening in the prior art is typically limited in size and requires an awkward lid which is unhinged or which pivots in an obstructive manner relative to the access opening.

, Ind. Each of the designs of storage and step boxes of the above noted manufactures however includes the limitations noted above of awkward step placement and limited access o

Images